


It's In The Cards

by FangirlingStrangerThings



Series: Mileven Week 2018 [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Awkward, F/M, Fate, Fluff, Humour, Love, Love at First Sight, Lumax, Mileven, Mileven Week, Mileven Week 2018, Psychic Reading, SO MUCH FLUFF, Swearing, alternative universe, soul mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-20 07:37:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16551680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FangirlingStrangerThings/pseuds/FangirlingStrangerThings
Summary: Day 2 of Mileven Week - Fate.A Psychic Fair, an Oracle Reading, a spilt coffee and a floral arch. Read along as Mileven are brought together by fate, in the most fluffy, awkward, embarrassing and cutest way possible.Rated Teen because we have some potty mouth in this story!





	It's In The Cards

**Author's Note:**

> It's Day 2 of Mileven Week! And officially 35 years since Mike and El first met each other. Happy anniversary to my favourite couple and ship!
> 
> Today's theme is Fate. So please enjoy this light-hearted AU, which a few clumsy, awkward and psychic elements thrown in. No angst in sight with this one!
> 
> Also, please note I am not a Clairvoyant, but I have been to a few Psychic Fairs and had a some really accurate readings of my own! Loved them!

It's In The Cards

 

* * *

 

"Max I'm  _not_  going to a psychic fair," El repeated for what felt like the seventeenth time during the thirty-minute phone call with her best friend.

"Oh come on El, it'll be a laugh! And I don't wanna go  _alone_ …" Max pleaded, no doubt pouting right now. El rolled her eyes, slowly pacing her hotel room, her feet bare against the thick mauve carpet.

She crossed past the king sized bed towards the floor to ceiling window, pushing back the drapes to take in the spectacular view of San Diego.

"Why do you want to go to this Psychic Fair anyway?" El asked with a slight frown, her hazel eyes fixated on the beach in the distance. The sun was starting to set, falling deeper below the purple and blue horizon. It was picture perfect.

Max sighed pensively down the phone, " _well_  I get married in three days and I don't know…I just feel like I need a bit of courage."

Max's words startled El who blinked in surprise. "Are you having doubts about marrying Lucas?!" She couldn't help the shock in her voice at her best friend's revelation. Max and Lucas were made for each other, their personalities complimenting perfectly, they brought out the best in each other and it was obvious how in love they were.

In the three years that El had known Max, both of them working at the same hospital in the San Francisco bay, she had also wanted what her best friend had. A soulmate, someone to really share the highs and lows of life with.

"No of course I'm not having doubts about Lucas!" Max exclaimed, her voice shrill as if even the thought was too terrifying to comprehend.

El stayed silent, knowing her best friend wanted to say more about whatever was bothering her so deeply. She continued to look out at the view, the sky a mixture of gold and indigo now and the ocean an inky blue.

"I think it's more a case of cold feet than anything else," Max finally admitted. "I love Lucas  _so_ much…but look at my parents, they ended up going through a divorce and it was brutal El. What if marrying Lucas means it'll eventually be the end of us?"

El shook her head adamantly even though her best friend wasn't there to see it. She wanted to laugh at how ludicrous Max's worries were but knew that they came from a vulnerable place. She needed reassuring and not judgement. "Max, you are  _not_ your parents, okay? You and Lucas just  _work_. Everyone can see how much you love each other."

"I know you're right," Max mumbled before exhaling a steady breath. "I love him. I'm just scared of losing him El."

"Just live in the moment," El said with a pleased grin, happy to hear Max finally reasoning over her worries. "And in three days you are getting to marry the man you love on the beach you grew up on, surrounded by your family and friends."

"You're so cheesy El," Max snorted, making both of the girls laugh.

"I just love you and want the best for you," El said with a warm smile. "Plus, what kind of maid of honour would I be if I let you get panicked before your wedding?"

"A terrible one," Max agreed, her voice light and breezy now. "So," she added with a brisk exhale and El could tell she was grinning. "Are you going to come with me to the Psychic Fair? You  _did_  say to live in the moment…"

El pulled her bottom lip between her teeth wanting to interject that a Psychic wasn't going to give Max the answers she wanted and that the whole thing was probably a farce. If it made her best friend more at ease, than she supposed it wouldn't be a wasted day.

" _Okay_ ," El huffed, smiling slightly when she heard Max cheer in triumph. "But I'm only going because you're my best friend! I'm not expecting to get anything out of this," she was quick to add.

"Oh this is going to be brilliant," Max said breathlessly. "I've been to one before, and usually there are at least a dozen psychics who can give you different readings with cards, or palm reading or…"

El let Max go off on a tangent whilst her hazel eyes watched the sun dip below the horizon, a gleam of gold just visible as she thought about this Psychic Fair and smirked to herself,  _as if I'm going to find answers_ _ **there**_ _._

* * *

 

"So," Max said loudly over the rustling of people moving about and the steady hum of voices vibrating through the room. "What do you think?"

El looked around the heaving room; there was too many people, all of them filtering around, trying to get to the tables where the psychics were sat, others were buying crystals off stalls, having Reiki massages or watching a man playing a set of bongos.

A sudden pungent smell hit El's nose and she crinkled her face in distaste. "It stinks…"

"Oh, that's just the incense," Max said happily as she linked arms with El and got her to move forward into the warm space.

"It's kind of overpowering," El coughed as she waved her hand in her face to try and dispel some of the strong incense away from her nostrils.

"You'll get used to it," Max shrugged with a grin, her blue eyes already flickering around the room with excitement.

El look around too, her brow furrowed and her bottom lip between her teeth. "Um…so what do we  _do_?" she asked feeling stupid and confused.

"Well, have a look around and if you feel like you're drawn to a particular psychic then go and speak to them," Max prompted with an eager smile, her eyes now on a nearby clairvoyant who had a large display sign next to her table that claimed she was an experienced tarot reader. "I'm going to her," Max added pulling away from a bewildered El and leaving her in the middle of the busy, warm and smelly room.

"Shit," El mumbled under her breath as she looked around nervously. Slowly and unsurely, she started to wander around the room, trying not to catch anyone's eye when they looked up at her, clearly wanting to sell her some kind of crap.

She stopped near the back and ran a hand through her hair, staying stationary as her hazel eyes flickered around the room. Suddenly her gaze locked with kind green eyes and she startled for a moment, staring back at the psychic.

The woman gave her a warm smile but didn't prompt her to walk over or try and sell her anything. El quickly broke their gaze to look around again and noticed that every other psychic now had someone getting a reading. El wondered if that meant that this woman, Marcella Miller according to her sign, wasn't a very good psychic and so no one else wanted her.

El looked around again, clenching her fist anxiously, wanting to find  _something_ to do before looking back at Marcella and sighing in defeat.  _Damn, looks like I'm getting a reading._

"Good morning," Marcella greeted welcomingly as El hesitantly waded her way through the crowd towards the clairvoyant.

_Good morning indeed_. El had not appreciated her early wakeup call from Max so that they could get to this stupid fair early. She hadn't even managed to have her morning coffee damnit.

"Hi," El greeted awkwardly, standing just behind the empty seat facing the clairvoyant. Her clammy hands clenching slightly to the top of the chair.

Marcella watched her fingers and laughed gently looking back up at El, "I don't bite honey, why don't you sit down?"

El heaved a sigh and did as she was told, sitting down neatly and then keeping her fidgeting hands clasped together on her lap.

Marcella's table was covered in a black cloth with a purple and gold thin scarf laid on top of it with three different decks of intricately designed cards. "What's your name honey?" she asked while neatening up the cards.

"El," she answered lamely, looking down at her hands and then hesitantly looking back up at the clairvoyant.

"It's nice to meet you El. Now what reading are you after?"

El couldn't help but let a laugh escape her throat as she smiled slightly and shrugged her shoulders, "I honestly have no idea. I've never done this kind of thing before…"

"That's fine," Marcella smiled kindly, her eyes then flicking promptly to her decks of cards. "So, I read Angel, Oracle and Tarot cards. Angel cards work best if you want a  _specific_  question answering, Oracle cards are also good with answering questions but are a little more broad than specific. And tarot cards will show us whatever they sense from you. They are more reflective of what you might be seeking."

El bit down on the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing. It all just sounded so  _crazy_. How could a bunch of cards know anything about her life?

"So, which would you like to try today?" Marcella asked intently, her green eyes wide with interest as she took El in.

"Um," El mumbled uncertainly as she eyed up the cards. "I guess the oracle ones?"

"Lovely," Marcella said happily as she reached for the oracle cards and handed them over to El. "If you wouldn't mind shuffling them to get your energy on them."

El suppressed a snort,  _I'm more likely to get my sweat on them then my_ _ **energy**_ _._ But nevertheless, she shuffled them as prompted.

"I want you to now think of a question or anything you would like answered by the cards," Marcella said in a soothing voice, making El feel as if she was going into a trance for a moment. She nodded and closed her eyes, trying to think of something constructive, but all her sceptical mind could come up with was  _why am I here? What answers can you give me?_

El opened her eyes and handed the cards back over to Marcella who held the deck in the palm of her left hand. She carefully placed down the first card and turned it over. El took a peak at it and admired the beauty of an angel with their palms clasped together.

Marcella smiled and looked up at El, "I'm seeing that you're a very caring person. Both in your personal life and professional life. I'm sensing you're a nurse?"

El looked at Marcella in bewilderment, but didn't say anything else only nodding her head, slightly concerned this clairvoyant was stalking her. She then pulled out two more cards, one representing children and the other exclaiming about progress. "Ah," Marcella said knowingly, "would I be right in saying that you are wanting to progress in your field of work? That you're wanting to work with children?"

El gulped anxiously and nodded her head, her lips parting slightly in awe as she listened to Marcella, not understanding how she would know about El's wish to become a paediatrician.

And so the reading went on; family came up and Marcella told her to not feel so guilty about living away from her dad and that her mother was always guiding El from the spiritual world. Her heart clenched, and she foolishly wiped at her tears, completely stunned that Marcella could possibly know her mom had passed away when she was a child.

El found herself laughing when the clairvoyant talked about positive strong forces in her life, like the fiery red head. She knew there was the possibility Marcella had seen her walk in with Max, but it was funny either way that supposedly the spirit world knew how much of a loose cannon her best friend was.

El could hardly believe how much time had passed when Marcella pulled out the last three cards. One was an intricately designed wheel with 'fate' written inside of it, another was an angel holding up an oracle ball with the words 'trust' and then the last card was a beautiful illustration of two angels holding each other in what looked like an intimate embrace, their large wings almost wrapping around them both, like they were in their own world, cocooned from everything else.

Marcella was grinning as she stared down at the card, a pleased and almost playful expression written over her face. She slowly looked up at El who was watching her inquisitorially and stated, "soulmates."

El's arched her eyebrow and laughed light heartedly. "Excuse me?"

Marcella looked back down at the cards, still smiling, if not brighter. "You're going to meet your soulmate soon.  _Very_ soon in fact. I'm seeing a hot drink, something almost  _embarrassing_  and an arch of flowers."

"Okay…" El snorted, going back to thinking this woman was a fraud. There was no way on earth El was going to meet her soulmate. After several failed dates she had resigned to the fact a long time ago that she was never going to meet Mr Right. He didn't  _exist_.

Marcella smirked seeing El's hesitance and pointed her purple painted nail to the angel holding the oracle ball. " _Trust_  the process and  _trust_  the cards El. This is your fate."

El smiled politely, proud of herself for not rolling her eyes, a trait she had picked up from Max who profusely stated she had got from one of Lucas's best friends.

El thanked Marcella and paid for the reading, wandering around the room until Max was finally free. She was bursting to tell her everything about her angel card reading as they finally left the fair.

Max was still talking about her positive and uplifting reading when El dropped her back off at her dad's house. She was having lunch with her in laws, dad and stepmom while all El was planning on doing was finding the nearest coffee shop ASAP.

"Thanks for coming with me El," Max sighed happily as she squeezed her best friend in a warm hug. "I honestly feel so much better about everything."

"Good," El grinned and meant it. No matter what she personally thought of the reading and the Psychic Fair in general, if it had caused Max to leave with a smile on her face and a weight off her shoulders it was totally worth it.

* * *

 

El yawned loudly as she joined the queue for the small coffee shop she had found on her way back to the hotel. Her hazel eyes moved around the homely shop and she smiled, taking in the worn armchairs, the bookshelves and the smell of roasted coffee beans. Yes, this would do nicely for her afternoon before Max's bachelorette party that night.

The bridesmaids were already in California, Erica Lucas's sister and Max's two cousins Megan and Emma probably back at the hotel already getting themselves ready. El grinned to herself knowing it was going to be a wild night, especially with Max being the bride to be.

"Can I take your order mam?" the barista asked as El blinked and realised she was at the front of the queue.

"Yes, sorry," she said quickly apologising while her cheeks blushed. She didn't dare to turn around and look at the long line. "Can I have a medium chai latte to go please." El paid for her drink and waited patiently, watching the drink being made and thanking god that she would finally get some much needed caffeine in her veins.

"There you go mam, have a nice day," the barista smiled as he handed over the drink.

"Thank you," El replied with a relieved smile, clutching the coffee cup and whirling around to leave the shop. The only problem was that when she turned around someone walked straight into her.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, she practically bounced into the person's chest, her coffee cup forced to cave in spilling hot coffee all down her sweater as El squealed from the warm liquid and jumped back from the person who was stuttering out a loud apology.

"Oh my  _god_! I am so sorry, _shit_ , I am so, _so sorry_! Are you okay?" two firm hands grabbed onto El's upper arms as the person tried to stop her from stumbling over.

" _Fuck_ ," El gasped as she looked down at her soaked sweater, wringing the material out and pulling it away from her body in a desperate attempt to save the tank top underneath.

"Are you okay?! Holy crap, I'm really sorry. I'm such a klutz."

El's huffed in frustration and went to snap, "do I  _look_  okay?!" but as she looked up at the offending person, her breath stuttered in her throat.

Hazel golden eyes met dark amber eyes, and she was gone. Completely head over heels in love. That whole love at first sight stuff? Yeah it was true.  _Well, damn._

"Er…" El choked out instead, her heart jumping into her throat and a million butterflies exploding to life in her stomach. She wanted to remain calm, act cool, but her gaze traitorously decided to look over this man. Her eyes taking in messy black hair, pale skin with freckles delicately placed over a long nose and sharp cheek bones. Her gaze fell onto plump almost red lips and she gulped.

"What um…what happened?" El asked confused, as she slowly lifted her eyes to meet those sparkling orbs of black stars glistening back at her.

"Um…" he croaked unintelligently, before shaking his head slightly and clearing his throat, standing up a bit taller like he was trying to put himself back together. "I walked into you and…" he gestured to her sweater before blushing and averting his eyes. "I really am sorry,  _please_ let me buy you a new coffee."

El found she was blushing too and she quickly nodded her head, suddenly feeling bashful and keeping her gaze on her ruined grey sweater. "If you wouldn't mind that would be great, I'll just um…clean up." She said gesturing in the general direction of her sweater, feeling too breathless to think of a coherent sentence.

"Okay…cool," the man nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing as he shuffled from one foot to the other. "It was a medium chai latte right?"

El looked up at him, her eyebrows quirked in surprise, "how did you know that?"

"Oh," the man coughed embarrassed as he ran a hand through his already wild hair. El stared at it for a moment and felt the sudden urge, no  _need_ to run her fingers through it. "I heard you ordering," he mumbled, looking away and shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Right," El said awkwardly, stepping aside and thanking one of the baristas who had come over to clear up the spilt drink. "I'll just go try and dry off," she added in a hurry, not even looking up at the handsome man before rushing to the public restroom.

El hurried into the tiled bathroom and locked the door behind her, gasping for breath as she leaned her back against the cold wooden door. She closed her eyes, her chest heaving and her heart racing like never before. "Calm down," she whispered to herself feeling incredibly foolish.

She pushed away from the door, opening her eyes, pulling of her purse strap and tugging her wet sweater over her head, moaning in frustration when her curly hair got stuck on one of the buttons, making her brunette locks even more wild than usual.

El shivered in just her black tank top, her fingers fanning over the sweater material as she inspected the damage. It was pretty much ruined, and she sighed in exasperation as she tried to dry it off under the measly hand dryer.

" _Great_ ," El huffed knowing she was going to have to just stay in her tank top. She picked up her purse and bunched up sweater, taking a deep breath for courage and left the bathroom.

El practically jumped out of her skin when the moment she walked through the door she found the man of her dreams leaning against the opposite wall, holding two coffees and looking anxious.

He opened his mouth, probably to apologise again if the look in his eyes was anything to go by. But then his eyes landed on her tank top and he coughed awkwardly, looking away. "Here," he choked handing over one of the coffee cups. "Again, I am  _so_ sorry. If you want to send me the dry cleaning bill for your sweater I'll happily pay."

El looked at him and couldn't help but smile shyly, her heart tingling at how kind he was. "It was an accident," she told him with a slight shrug of her bare shoulder as she reached for the coffee cup. "Could have happened to anyone."

Their fingers brushed as she took the coffee cup and their eyes found each other, both of them inhaling a sharp breath at the electricity that ran up their arms and straight to their racing hearts, their chemistry exploding into technicolour. The man smiled bashfully, his pale cheeks turning a pretty pink.

"But of course, it was me," he said with a gentle laugh that made El grin because the noise was so bright and wonderful. "I'm gonna blame the jet lag. I'm not from around here," he explained with a lopsided grin.

El giggled, startling herself as to why she was feeling so giddy. She tried to brush off her embarrassment with a smile and looked back up into those captivating dark eyes. "I can't really use jet lag as an excuse. I live in San Francisco."

"Oh that's cool," the man said with a nervous smile as El started to slowly move away from the bathroom and the man pushed back from the wall he had been leaning on and walked sheepishly next to her. "Is the Golden Gate Bridge as good as they make it sound?"

El shrugged, feeling oddly comfortable next to this man as they walked towards the exit, both of them unconsciously stepping very slowly, not wanting this moment to end. "It's pretty spectacular, when people aren't using it to end their life of course…"  _Shit why am I talking about_ _ **that**_ _?!_

"Oh right…okay," the man said, clearing his throat and making El want the ground to swallow her up because of course she was  _this_ awkward around men. Especially  _this_ man, but that might be more to do with the fact she was head over heels in love with him.

They were making their way begrudgingly to the door and El tried desperately to think of something intelligent or charming to say, but every time she opened her mouth, she shut it again.

There was just  _something_  about him. Something that made her brain turn to mush, something that made her stomach jump and twist and her heart race so fast she thought it might burst out of her chest.

El watched as the man opened the door of the coffee shop, the bell tinkling above the frame as they both stepped out into the cooler air.

She couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine at the slight breeze and she rubbed her arms were a few goose bumps had raised. She always felt the cold, even in California.

El didn't realise that the man had been watching her in concern and then hesitation as he stumbled to pull off his own blue sweater, leaving a polo shirt underneath. "Here," he said with a shy smile, his eyes gentle and insisting as he pushed his sweater towards El who stared at him in surprise. "It's the least I can do," he added with a bashful smile.

El swallowed nervously, her hand carefully reaching out for the sweater and her fingers grasping at the warm cotton. "Thank you," she told in almost a whisper, her heart back in her throat all over again, making it hard to even form words.

"You're welcome," he said quietly back, his eyes sparkling with warmth as he stared right back at her.

El carefully pulled the sweater on, inhaling sharply at how incredible it smelt. She knew secretly she would be smelling the collar the  _second_ the man was out of sight. She looked back up at him and found he was smiling, his eyes light and almost pleased with her wearing his sweater.

_Ask for his number. Shit, ask for his_ _ **name**_ _!_  But as El went to open her mouth someone else stepped out of the coffee shop and she and the man had to both step backwards to let the person pass them.

El felt her cheeks blushing and she fumbled for words again, "I should um probably go…" she said hesitantly.

"Yeah," the man sighed with a begrudging look in his eyes. "Me too. I'm meant to be going out tonight," he said with a slight eye roll that looked  _way_ too familiar. "Not that I can really keep up with my friends on a good day," he said with a gentle laugh that once again had El beaming, because he was so goddamn _beautiful_  and it was making her lose her mind.

"Okay…well um, t-thank you for the sweater…" El said pulling at the long sleeve, feeling bashful and coy as she dipped her head and looked up at the man through her long lashes.

He blushed and shrugged his broad shoulders that looked even more prominent in his thin polo shirt. "It's no problem. I'm sorry for making you lose your sweater… _wait_ , shit that sounded wrong!" the man exclaimed, running a hand over his face, cringing while El laughed light and airy.

He looked at her in surprise and then a bashful grin curved on his already perfect lips. They continued to stare at each other until El sighed heavily, realising that she really did need to get going if she was going to make it to the bachelorette party on time.

"It was nice to meet you," El said grinning as she slowly started to back away.

"You too," he smiled wide and cheerfully in return as he copied her, backing away from her, his eyes staying on hers until he knocked into someone, apologised profusely and looked back at El in embarrassment. She laughed, feeling like she was no longer tethered by gravity as she gave him a little teasing wave and turned around.

When she got to the end of the street El couldn't help but glance back, blushing when she saw that the man had done the same. They shared a bashful smile and looked away.

* * *

 

"What do you  _mean_  you didn't get his number?!" Max practically screamed, her words slightly slurred as she and El took their fifth shot.

They were dressed to the nines, Max looking stunning in a short skater style white dress, a veil and plastic tiara on her head and a sash across her chest. They were all sat in a VIP booth at the club, bobbing their heads to the loud beat of the music and getting through their rounds of shots.

"Not even his  _name_!" El exclaimed in almost a sob, her voice filled with regret. "What the hell was I _thinking_  Max? This could have been my _guy_!"

"You're an idiot," Erica said wisely, tutting slightly.

El sighed and Max shouted, "Erica! This is my girl we're talking about."

"Just stating a fact…" Erica mumbled as she downed a shot.

"No, she's right," El sighed playing with the empty shot glass. "I  _am_  an idiot. He was  _perfect_ …" She couldn't help but pout, her chin in her palm as she tried to ask herself why she didn't ask for his number, even his  _name_ would have been a start!

"Yeah spilling hot coffee over you, sounds  _perfect_  to me…" Erica teased with sass as she chinked shot glasses with Max's cousins who laughed giddily. El rolled her eyes but didn't respond.

Max turned to El and grinned, her eyes slightly glazed over and her cheeks flushed with intoxication. "I've just had the  _best_  idea!"

El couldn't help but groan, knowing that Max's 'best idea' schemes usually ended in humiliation and almost getting arrested.

"I'm gonna set you up with Lucas's best man Mike. He's single too and I actually think he'd be your type."

El cringed and shook her head, "the maid of honour and the best man? Isn't that a bit cliché?" she asked wearily, knowing she didn't even have a  _heart_ to give to another man, coffee man had stolen it.

"Isn't finding the love of your life in a coffee shop a little cliché?" Max teased back, nudging El's shoulder whilst she blushed.

"Okay fair enough," she mumbled, conceding that yes it was a little cliché, but she couldn't help the feeling that had exploded inside of her when she looked into his eyes. It was like everything had suddenly come to life, like she had been living in black and white.

"Just give Mike a chance," Max pressed on, her warm palm over the back of El's hand, as she gave her best friend a wide grin, her drunken state making her more excitable than usual. El couldn't say no to that face.

"Okay," she sighed smiling slightly.

"That's my girl!" Max cheered before wobbling to her feet. "Right ladies let's dance! I'm getting married in two days and after that, I'm never wearing heels and a fucking dress again!"

El and the girls all laughed, getting to their feet with amused smiles on their faces as they linked arms and were led by the bride to be onto the dance floor. For the rest of the evening El tried to put coffee man and this Mike to the back of her mind. She focused on her best friend, dancing and spinning Max around and grinning like a fool, because in two days her soul sister was getting married and it would be the  _perfect_ day.

* * *

 

"I swear to god, if my mom asks me to wear that ugly bracelet  _one more time_ …" Max muttered while the make-up artist worked in between the red head's rants and mumbles.

"I think she wants it to be your something old," El reasoned, holding Max's glass of champagne as she stood next to her chair, her own hair and make-up already done. All of the bridesmaids had their hair swept up into a messy side bun with floral baby's breath tucked in at the top of the wisps of hair. "She said it belonged to your grandma…"

"Eurgh I hated my grandma and she hated me," Max shuddered, making the make-up artist sigh slightly as she tried again to carefully put lipstick on the impatient bride.

"I hope you're not talking about Dotty," El reprimanded pointing the champagne flute at Max. "I love that woman."

" _No_ ," the red head grinned slightly. "I'm talking about my _mom's_  mom, not my dad's mom. Grandma Mary is a witch."

"Well you don't  _have_  to wear the bracelet," El reasoned as she picked up her own champagne flute and took a sip.

"I'm not going to," Max muttered, and then a soft smile lit up her face. "Besides, Lucas has already bought me one. Mike brought it over this morning when you were getting your make up done."

"Ah the elusive Mike," El laughed softly, shaking her head as she remembered Max's plans to get El and the best man together. She grinned and nodded her head as if interested when her best friend exclaimed how brilliant her plan was, but El still hadn't gotten over coffee man. And she didn't think she ever would. Those dark amber eyes had appeared in her dreams for the past two nights now.

"It's gonna happen," Max teased as she reached for her champagne flute, El handed it over immediately. "I can see it now. Mike and El. El and Mike. Has a nice ring to it don't you think?"

El sighed, begrudgingly admitting that it did have a nice ring to it. For some reason it made her chest feel warm and for her skin to tingle.

The next few hours flew by in the shape of mini meltdowns from Max, a stuck zipper on Erica's dress and a lost button hole. But finally, the girls were making their way down to the beach. Max holding onto her father Greg for dear life, her body physically trembling from nerves and excitement.

She looked stunning in a simple white mermaid style gown. The bottom of the dress moving slightly in the gentle breeze. El beamed with happiness and pride, feeling so blessed to even be a witness to her best friend's wedding, let alone have such a big role in it.

A large white screen had been put up so that the girls and Greg could get down to the beach without being seen by the wedding guests, the groom and his groomsmen.

"Remember, after the ceremony is over, me and Lucas will walk back up the aisle, then you and Mike, Erica and Dustin, Megan and Will, and Emma with Lucas's cousin Jack." Max said to the bridal party when they reached the white screen, turning around to look at the girls.

"What does Mike look like?" El whispered back, her own heart racing with adrenaline at the thought of having to walk down the aisle first.

"You can't miss him. He's as tall as a giraffe, dark floppy hair and kind of a dork." Max turned to look at her cousins, "Megs Will is the shortest one, he's got brown hair and he'll probably be the only one  _not_  gawking at you all because he's gay." Megan laughed in amusement and nodded. "Emma, you already met Jack at the hotel, right?"

Emma smirked, "I sure did…" while Greg pretended he didn't hear his niece's suggestive words.

Erica shuddered, " _gross_. That's my cousin you're talking about." The girls all giggled and it seemed to ease the building tension for a moment.

The wedding planner hurried back over to the bridal party and smiled brightly, "are you ready?" she asked Max who took a deep breath and nodded nervously.

El felt her own stomach swooping with a mixture of excitement, fear and happiness. She reached for Max's hand, giving it a supportive squeeze before the music started to play and her best friend gave her the go ahead to walk into sight and make her way up the aisle.

Everyone had stood up and for a moment El couldn't see Lucas or his groomsmen. She tried to smile through her nerves, clutching her bouquet of wild flowers tightly between her grasp as she slowly made her way up the aisle towards a beautiful floral arch, Lucas and his groomsmen finally coming into view…

" _You're going to meet your soulmate soon._ _ **Very**_ _soon in fact. I'm seeing a hot drink, something almost_ _ **embarrassing**_ _and an arch of flowers."_

Hazel eyes and amber eyes once again connected, widening in united shock, surprise and happiness. El gasped quietly, trying to carry on walking, her body moving of its own accord as she looked at her coffee man,  _Mike_.

He looked just as startled to see her, his handsome face a picture of shock, his jaw slack and awed before his face lit up and his lips curved into a wide dreamy grin. They continued to stare at each other, El not even realising she was smiling just as foolishly, her heart practically audible.

She reached the floral arch and looked bashfully over at Mike just as he mouthed, "hi," to her. El's took a deep calming breath, grinning at him, their eyes completely glued on each other until the music changed and they both hurried to look at the arrival of the bride.

El felt like she was in a daze, her senses completely overloaded with how stunning and happy Max looked as she glided up the aisle with her father. How awed Lucas was by her, his eyes wet and adoring of his wife to be. And the shock and overwhelming fate of Mike being her coffee man, of him continuing to stare at her throughout the ceremony, a bashful smile lifting his pretty lips every time she caught him looking.

The ceremony went by in a flurry of happiness and laughter, and the occasional tear as Lucas and Max became husband and wife. El and every single guest clapped loudly, all of them so immensely happy for the newlyweds.

The music lifted once more, the bride and groom kissing and then holding hands tightly as they walked down the white carpet that was keeping the ground mostly free of sand.

El's heart was jumping with ecstasy and her stomach was a flurry of butterflies when Mike stepped forward, his arm outstretched for hers.

She grinned at him, taking his arm and trying not to squeal at the way his warm form felt against her own. They started to walk but El couldn't help but look up at Mike.

"Hello coffee man," she teased making them both laugh. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Me neither," Mike replied, his smile incredibly tender and his eyes soft, and dare she say loving. "But I'm glad I have seen you," he added breathlessly, their eyes connecting.

"If this isn't fate I don't know what is," El whispered, courage lifting her heart and making her feel braver than she usually would be.

Mike's eyes lit up with happiness, "whatever it is, I  _trust_ it."

El's gaze danced over his face in adoration before meeting the beautiful dark amber eyes once more. She felt like she could see everything in those starry orbs, like she could see a future,  _their_  future all wrapped up in his gaze, endless possibilities. Their wedding, a family, the laughs of innocent children and the happy sighs of tired parents. A future of their own, a future joined  _together_.

" _ **Trust**_ _the process and_ _ **trust**_ _the cards El. This is your fate."_

"I trust it too," El replied breathlessly.

And as they continued to glance at each other, sharing bashful smiles and blushing cheeks, before talking together, getting to know one another and finally dancing. Slowly, safe and complete in each other's arms as they stared into the eyes that had started their connection.

It was in the cards and it was in their lips meeting half way as they kissed, fireworks going off in their hearts, both of them knowing that  _this_ was  _it_. They had found their soulmates and they had let fate choose their destiny.

* * *

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Are you all still alive after that fluff feast?! I hope so, because I'll be back tomorrow with a new theme! :-D
> 
> I love you all, thank you so much for reading! Please leave a comment or a kudos (or both haha) if you enjoyed this one shot.


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